13 Burton Street, Darlinghurst NSW 2010
http://www.pocketbar.com.au
New Melbourne-type small bar in Sydney!
Once you enter through the heavy glass metal doors you soon realise this bar is very different in a good way. Having only opened last Friday this small and cosy bar has attracted a very decent sized crowd on this wet and cold night. The charismatic co-owner Karl swiftly moves amongst the bar collecting empty glasses, attending to crêpe orders and serving drinks effortlessly while keeping a cheery smile on his face. Christophe the other co-owner looks confident and relaxed behind the bar attending to the very mixed-wannabe-inner-city-model-like-indie-grunge-artistic-disposal-income-crowd.
This bar is by far the most Melbourne-laneway-type small bar I've come across in Sydney which the new Liquor licensing laws have encouraged in Sydney as described in
TimeOut Sydney. The very bold and graphic wall treatments by artist Steve Gollow along with the thrifty
eBay purchased lounges of varying styles certainly captures the true creative essence and inspiration of what a small bar can be created from. Couch purchases included a set for only $1, a magnificent wooden framed red couch set from an Indian family for $500 and others from a Lebanese and Croatian family around Sydney.
The glass top bar counter filled with random objects is somewhat tacky yet so cool and clever because of it's simplicity. Shelves of books to read, rustic finishes, reasonably priced crêpes (yet to try), great music, interesting crowd and fine wines by the glass is a winning formula which I'm sure will make this bar a huge success. Check it out soon before it becomes too popular and isn't as 'cool' anymore. Other small bar gems around Sydney I've enjoyed are
Sticky Bar in Surry Hills and
Madame Fling Flong in Newtown.
What's your favourite small bar in Sydney?
Other small bars visited:
Heavy door — push hard!
Pick a different couch each time you visit — red one is my favourite!
Bold wall graphics
Random objects displayed at the bar counter
Cute small side table
Crêpe menu boards
Food and drinks menu — The NV Freixenet Spanish Cava for $7/glass was very nice.
Look out for the white lines on the wall which show where the previous house walls used to be
'Nieghbours' — it's sooo cool you don't even need to spell correctly.
Smokers taking shelter outside in the rain
